 Strong institutions are considered to be the essential foundation for the SDGs and the national development pillars. These remarks were delivered at the commencement of a professional development session by the Permanent Secretary in the Department of Economic Development Claudius Emmanuel. The Department of Economic Development is the lead agency for the development and coordination of St Lucia's national development agenda. The department oversees St Lucia's capital budgeting process and presents priority projects for the country. This takes into consideration the fiscal realities and implications for overall economic stability. During her welcome address, Chief Economist in the Department of Economic Development Paul Alcindor reminded staff of the important role they play in national development. Given the gravity of our socioeconomic situation, it means we have to show up every given day to give our best self. We must do so because what we do affects the quality of life of every citizen in this country. I believe this is what drives our enthusiasm and our passion. Alcindor stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed St Lucia's vulnerabilities as a developing country which has increased the relevance of the strategic planning and visioning of the department. We want to be recognized as a stakeholder focus, team-oriented and thought-leading agency driving sustained socioeconomic development. So to ensure the effective implementation of this strategic plan, we went through a process of examining our systems, our processes, our programs and our practices to address the gaps, any gaps that would hinder us realizing this vision. PSC Manwell also acknowledged the timing and importance of the team-building activity given the debilitating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, we have to be proactive in the formulation of responsive policies and strategies to deal with the continued challenges we face as a developing nation. The Government of St Lucia has already declared a people-focused philosophy that guides the strategies to address its development challenges. This philosophy is in alignment with the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. As you may be aware, Agenda 2030 seeks to end poverty, protect the planet and bring peace and prosperity to all. The realization of the ambitions of the SDGs requires policy coherence to harness synergies to promote the best outcomes for small developing states like ourselves. The professional development session conducted under the theme Better Together was facilitated by Quality Consultant Betty Comby of Moz Inc. She focused participants on adopting quality standards, creating impact from outputs and achieving quality outcomes. Assistant Economist Latha Phyllisian participated and shared her views on the overall activity. So far it has been interesting, interactive, I did not really know what to expect coming in but it has been a pleasant surprise. My facilitator is very charismatic so that's a good thing. A key takeaway for Economist Makrisio Geist Bouchel was the focus placed on stakeholders. I think it's a good exercising point for us in terms of getting us prepared for the interaction that is necessary to bring about buy-in from our stakeholders. The team building exercise and professional development session brought together three teams the red, green and turquoise in friendly but competitive exercises aimed at strengthening the entire team while focusing on the overall objective. For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting.